Voting-booth



(No Model.)

J. B. STRUBLE.

VOTING BOOTH.l

No. 469,508. Patented Peb.23,1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN B. STRUBLE, OF SHEPHERD, MICHIGAN.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,508, dated February 23, 1892.'. Application filed March l1. 1891. Serial No. 384.663. (No model.)

To ald whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. STRUBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shepherd, in the county of Shepherd and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Booths, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in voting-booths; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction of a booth having an entry and exit and means for lookin g the entry-door after the occupant has entered and for unlocking it by means of his exit from the booth.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction of an indicator to notify the voter when the booth is empty and the door unlocked, so that another voter may enter.

The invention further consists in the pecu liar construction, combination, and arrange ment of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved booth. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on line y y, showing the parts in the position with the entry-door open. Fig. 3 is across-section thereof on line o5, and Fig. 4. is an enlarged perspective viewof the locking mechanism.

A are the walls forming an inclosing casing for my booth. This inclosing casing may be formed by the walls of an ordinary house if the voting is carried on in a building already erected, or the complete booth may be erected in the room.

B is the entry-door to the booth, and C the eXit-door therefrom.

This booth is especially intended for use in connection with what is known as the Australian system of voting and is designed to have arranged within a suitable number of cases containing the various tickets to be voted; but I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate any construction in this regard.

In previous constructions of booths no means is provided for locking the door automatically as the occupant enters, and consequently it frequently happens that a number of persons occupy the booths at the same time,

which does away with the benefits of the socalled Australian system, in which the voter is supposed to be isolated when he makes his selection of tickets which he desires to vot-e. To accomplish the desired end I arrange a lock which is disengaged as the occupant passes out of the exit and which is thrown into operative position as soon as the entry-door B is opened.

` The specific construction of mechanism which I have shown to carry out this invention is as follows:

D is a shaft journaled longitudinally of the frame at the top thereof in suitable bearings. This shaft is provided near each end with gearwheels E E.

F F are levers having segmental racks Gr Gr3 formed at one end meshing with the gearwheels E E upon opposite sides theeof. These levers are each provided with a downwardly projecting arm G2 and G', having curved inner faces and so located that the opening of the doors will strike the arms and rock the lever, which by means of the segmental rack rotates the shaft. This shaft carries at one end the indicator-plate I'I, which is over the entry-door and marked with the word Open or other word to indicate when the occupant has left the booth or if it is occupied.

I is a rock-arm secured upon the shaft D near the entry-door, which is connected by means of the connecting-bar J with the lever K, extending down within the booth to a point opposite the locking-casing L, where it is provided with a bolt M, adapted to enter and be withdrawn from the casing.

The door is provided with any suitable latch-such as the gravity-latch N-to engage y with said bolt when it is in the position shown in Fig.A et. When the bolt is withdrawn, it is evident that the door will be unlocked.

O is the hood upon the door B, covering the lever G', so that it cannot be operated from the outside.

The parts being thus constructed, a voter being in the booth, the latch N being engaged with the bolt M, when he has selected his ticket and passed out through the exit-door C the door will strike the arm G2, which will vthe medium of the arm G2.

rock the lever F, rotate the shaft D, and communicate motion to the lever F, moving the arm G downward across the front of the entry-door, as shown in Fig. l. The rocking of the shaft will also move the rock-arm I and Withdraw the bolt M from the latch, at the same time turning the indicator to plainly show that the occupant has passed out through the exit-door, and the booth is ready for another voter to enter. The entry of the next voter will cause the door to strike the arm G', which, through the mechanism described, will rock the rock-arm I and throw the bolt into the casing Il, at the same time lowering the arm G2, ready to be struck when the exit-door is opened to rotate the plate H to indicate lthat the booth is occupied. A suitable Vspring P will close the door as soon as the occupant has entered. This spring, as shown, is a spiral torsion-spring, the coils being spread or open as the door is opened. The tendency of the coils to resume their normal position forces the door to. Itl will, however, be apparent that any of the wellknown doorclosing springs or other devices may be used. The latch N, engaging over the bolt M, will securely lock it against interference from inside or out, the exit of the occupant performing the operation previously described.

In case the inspectors, who arein the inner room where the voter is to deposit his ballot, desire to stop the influx temporarily they have absolute control of the entry-door B through It is evident that if they raise the lever G2 the door will be unlocked and the indicator be turned to indicate that the booth is empty, and when the inspectors desire they may lock it by the reverse movement.

IVhat I claim as my invention is*e l. In a voting-booth, the combination of an entryedoor, an adjustable lock for the door, and levers actuated by the door to adjust the lock from an inoperative to an operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a voting-booth, the combination, with the casing, entry and exit doors, and the lock for the entry-door, of levers actuated by the doors, a shaft rotated by the levers, andan indicator actuated by the shaft, substantially as described. v

3. In avoting-booth, the combination, with an entry and exit door, of a lock for the entry-door and a lever actuated by the exit-door for unlocking the entry-door, substantially as described.

4. In a voting-booth, the combination, with an entry-door, of a lock; for said door, an exitdoor, and means for unlocking the entry-door by the movement of the exit-door, substantially as described.

multaneously moving the same, substantially as described. y n

6. In avoting-booth, the combination, with the casing, of an entryand exit door, levers pivoted above the doors and extending down in front of the same, racks on the inner ends of the levers, a shaft extending across the casing, gear-wheels on said shaft meshing with the racks, a lock for the entry-door, and a lever actuated by the shaft for unlocking the door, substantially as described.

7. In a voting-booth, the combination, with the casing and entry and exit doors, of levers pivoted to the casing extending down in front of the doors, racks on the opposite faces of the levers, a shaft journaled in the frame on opposite sides of the levers, respectively, gears o n the shafts engaging the racks, a `lock for the entry-door, a lever for actuating the lock, and a connection between the lock-actuating lever and shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a voting-booth, the combination, with an exit and entry door, of a gravity-latch on the entry-door, a lockecasing, `a movable Abolt in the casing in the path of the latch, and a lever actuated by the doors to move the bolt, substantially as described.

9. In avoting-booth, the combinatiom'with a casing and exit and entry doors, of levers extending in front of the doors, a connection between the levers for simultaneously 'operating the same, a hood on the entry-door, surrounding the end of the lever at the ent-rydoor, a lock for the entrfydoor, and connections -between the lock and levers for actuating the lock, substantially as described.

l0. In a voting-booth, the combinatio'mwith the casing, entry and exit doors, and thelock for the entry-door, of levers arranged in the paths of the doors, a shaft rotated by the levers, and an indicator on the end of the shaft, substantially as described. v

1l. In a voting-booth,the combination, with the casing, of an entry and an exit door hinged thereto, levers pivoted on the casing'and extending down to a point opposite the doors, racks on the levers, a shaft journaled in the frame, gears on the shaft engaging the rack, a lock for the entry-door, a lever pivoted to the frame and to the bolt of the lock, an arm on the shaft, and a bar connecting the arm and bolt-actuatin g lever, substantially as described.

12. In a voting-booth, the combination, with the entry-door, of a 'gravity -latch on the door, a casing yin which the latch enters, a sliding bolt passing into the casing in the path of the latch, and a lever for actuating the bolt, substantially as described.

13. In a voting-booth, the combination, with the entry and exit doors, of a lock for the entry-door, a lever engaging the exit-door for unlocking the entry-door, and 'a lever actuated by the entry-door for readjusting the lock, substantially as described.

14C. In avoting-booth, the combination, with ICO IIO

the entry-door, of a lock for the door, a lever the opening of the door, substantially es de- Io for unlocking the lock, and means actuated scribed.

by the door for readj listing the lock, substan- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in tially as described. presence of two Witnesses.

5 15. InaVoting-booth, the combinatomwith j the entry-door, of a lock for the door, means JOHN 1.)' STRUBLE' beyond the inner face of the door for unlock- Vtnesses: ing the lock, and a connection between the M. B. ODOGHERTY, door and lock for readjustng the lock upon P. M. HULBERT. 

